Automatic fluid-pressure displacement pump



June 22 1926.

. R. l. PENDLETON v AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP OriginalFiled May 15, 1923 5 sheets-sh'et 1 June 22 1926. 1,589,551

- R. I. PENDLETON AUTOMATIC FLUID PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP OriginalFiled May 15, 1925 5 sheets shebt 2 R. I. PENDLETON AUTOMATIC FLUIDPRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP Jane 22 1926.

Original Filed May 15, 1925 5 SheetS-Shbt 5 zone, and the inflow of bothsai Patented June 22, 1926, 7

RALPH I. PENDLETON, 01 DENVER, COLORADO.

AUTOIlIATIC FLUID-PRESSURE DISPLACEMENT PUMP.

Applicatlon filed May 15, 1923, Serial No. 939,119. Renewed August 7,1925.

mitted'into a displacement z'one adapted to receive charges or volumesof the incoming liquid to be pumped, the said operating pressure fluidfunctioning as a fluid piston to force said li uid throughv an outletconduit suitably leading from said dis lacement pressure fluid and saidliquid being under such an automatically coacting valvular control thatthe one is cut oil as the other is being admitted into said displacementzone.

Although the invention primarily has been devised for the individualpumpin or less complex pumping riggings generally operated in balancedsets in highly productive fields, the many disadvantages of a whichare-well understood by those actively engaged in the productive end ofthe oil industry and which need not therefore be entered into, and whiletheimprovements will accordingly be moreparticularly disclosed withreference to oil well pumping,

still it is nevertheless to be understood from the outset that the useof the invention is not necessarily to be limited to this one specialfield of employment, as the improvements might well be adapted forinstallation in other analogous relations and for the pumping of otherliquids than oils.

It has heretofore .beenproposed toemploy displacement pumps, of thecharacter set forth, wi h which both the inflow of the liquid to bepumped and the operating pressure fluid are, broadly speaking, under theautomatic control of valvular means located within the dis lacementchamber of the pump, and-by t e present invention I also follow saidprinciples broadly, but no claim is made herein toany such arrangementsinvolving or embodying a paired set of valvular parts, one of which hasa portway cooperating with a plurality of ports provided g by itscasing, for controlling the inflow of the operating pressure fluid, andthe other of which controls the inflow of the liquid to be pumped. p

The primary object of the present invention is to simplify formerconstructions, not

only for the purposes of decreasing the costsof manufacture andinstallation but also with the aims of prolonged durablhty, maxip of oilwells, as contradistinguished from t e more mum eflic iency and economyin operation,

and material. reductions of expenses formaintenance and repairs.

. The foregoin and other objects and ad;

vantages, as wel as the manner and means for accomplishing the desiredends, will be. so clearly apparent, as incidental to the followindisclosure, that it, would only be undesirable surplusage and "wouldserve no useful pnr ose to further enlarge upon the.

part of this specification and n- Fi ure 1 is a central longitudinalsectiona viewthrough the pum sociated parts as ap lied withm a wellcasand its as-.

ing and with its so e operating valve part,. common to both pressurefluid and liquid inlets, shown seated in its lowermost posi-" tion,shutting off the liquid inflow and ad-' mitting the operating pressurefluid into the displacement zone, the view being partly illustrated asbroken away and with the up per section thereof further showing the ap-vplication of a reduced discharge or outlet conduit, with packer meanstherefor, which may be employed when production decreases,

gure 2 1s a' view analogoustoFigure 1,- but with the operating valvepart seated in its uppermost position, shutting off the op eratingpressure fluid from the displace- 390 iuent zone and admitting theliquid to bepumped therein. if

Figures 3 and 4 are lon itudinal centralsectional views, substantia lyanalogous to, Figure 1 but respectively illustrating cer- 'tainmodifications in the construction, ar-,

rangement and disposition'of theoperating.

pressure fluid conduit and the outlet or dis-,- charge conduit for theliquid, leading to;- and from the displacement zone, which dis-,-

oes ,not now partially. in

placement zone clude the well casing chamber, so that 'no.

packer means are required.

Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views, taken, respectively, alongthe planes of'the lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figures 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views! taken respectively, alonlines 7 and 8-8 of igure 3, and

Figures 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views taken, respectively, alonglines 9-9 and 10 -10 0 Figure 4.

the'planes of the if the planes of the v ,"Referring first'to Figures'l,2, and 6, although in all of the views the same parts will be designatedb the same reference characters where feasi 1e, the numeral 14indicat'es the lower portion of a well casing intowhich there isdownwardly inserted the casing of'the valve chamber 15 of the pump.Although the expression well casing is used for convenience,'it is to beunderstood that, wherever herein I employ the same, it equivalentlyapplies to well tubing as well, if such tubing is run down within thewell casing proper.

Thls valve chamber casing may be formed as an open-endedbarrel 16, withthe ends thereof preferably threaded internally, as at 17' and 18, torespectively receive the externally threaded valve chamber head 19 andthe open-ended cylindrical bottom exten-. sion 20. I I g The lowerportion of the bottom extension 20, protruding below the valve chambercasa packer or gasket 21, adapted to sun ly t the inside of the wellcasing 14, and the other end thereof terminates in an upwardly disposedinternal edge valve seat 22, complemental of the operating valve element23 as the controlling means for the inflow of the liquid to be pumped.

The acker ring or gasket 21, snugly interpose between and in conjunctionwith the. cylindrical extension 20 and the well casin 14, provides thewell casin with sep-v arate chambers :or divisions, an obviously theliquid to; be pumped enters from the lower division, below the gasket21, thence I flowing upwardly within the hollow extenoperating pressuresion {and under valvular control into the displacement zone. Thedisplacement zone in this instance embraces not only the valve chamber15 itself but also the upper division 24 of the well casing, indicatedabove the packer 21 and likewise above the barrel head 19, and in thisconstruction the well casing serves as the outlet or discharge conduitfor t e pumped liquid. Entrance from the valve chamber 15 into the wellcasing division 24 is provided for by a lateral series of apertures orports 25, through the wall of the valve chamber above the seat 22,-andby a vertical series of apertures, bores or ports 26 extending; throughthe valve chamber head 19. The apertures 25 may not be strictlyessential, or. they might be arranged at a higher position and. thevertical apertures 26 dispensed with, but for maximum efiiciency it isbelieved that the inclusion of both .sets of apertures as disclosedwould be most desirable;

The valve chamber head 19 is provided with a substantiall large centralbore 27 that is preferably t readed to receive at its upper portion thethreaded lower end of the fluid conduit pipe 28, and

at its lower end to receive an open-ended detachable nozzle member 29,the interior of which is preferably of downwardly converging conical ortapering form, as is indicated at 30, and terminates in or merges into avalve seat 31, downwardly disposed oppositely to and substantiallyspaced from said valve seat 22, which valve seat 31 is complemental ofthe operating valve element 23 as the controlling means for the inflowof the operating pressure fluid into the displacement zone. 1

It may be emphasized here that the bore of the pressure fluid inlet pipe28 is of smaller cross-sectional area than the bore of the liquid inletconduit 20, or at least that the cross-sectional area of the dischargeorifice of the noz zle 29 and its terminal valve seat 31 are relativelyless than those of the valve seat 22.1

The said valve element 23 could be other than'of the particularspherical form shown, and for'instance it could be in the nature of anintegral pair of reversed base to base cones, in which case the form ofthe valve seats would be altered accordingly but for practical purposesit would doubtless be preferable to employ a ball valve element asillustrated. At all events, the said valve element 23 operates in trulybalanced relation, owing to the relative difference in crosssectionalarea of the discharge openings orferred to, respectively, as an upperand a lower valve seat, or as terminal valve seats, respectively, of thepressure fluid inlet and of the liquid inlet.

The nozzle element 29 is made detachable as stated, the object thereofbeing primarily for interchangeable urpos'es. It is believed that thisfeature is of considerable importance, and is claimed as apart of theinvention, inasmuch as it permits having a larger or vice versa a more.restricted discharge orifice or outlet to be substituted the one forthe other, thereby proportionately regulating the cross-sectional areaof the operating fluid pressure on the valve 23, when up against itsseat 31, relatively to the cross-sectional area of the liquid pressureon the underneath surface of the valve, or allowing for the adjustmentor changed controlof the volume of the pressure fluid admitted to thedisplacement zone, during a given time, proportionately to the charges-or volume of liquid to be pumped at each operation.

At the upper portions of the broken-away views of Figures 1 and 2 thereare shown a pipe conduit 32 and a packer ring or gasket common to orcom-.

of a nozzle duction of the well decreases, and will be more particularlyreferred to in the description of the operation.

In the-modified construction of Figures 3, 7 and 8, the broaderprinciples involved are the same as those previously, described, but inthis modified arrangement the well casing is never employed as theoutlet conduitfor the umped liquid, no packer means are erhploye and thepressure fluid conduit is disposed within the discharge or outletconduit for the pumped liquid. The manner of installing this modifiedarrangement is also different from the method employed in the previouslydescribed arran ement, and accordingly certain structural features arealso slightly altered, as will now be pointed out.

The packer ring or gasket not being used, the bottom cylindrical member20, which supplies the valve seat 22, need not be as long as heretofore,and the valve chamber head 19 has certain additional features.

In this construction the valve chamber head 19 is shown as having anintegrally joined central downwardly disposed nozzleing, but it isobvious that this nozzle element might readily .be altered to conformwith an function as the interchangeable nozzle element 29 of Figures 1and 2. The valve chamber head is also provided with an upwardly disposedcentral tubular element 36, preferably having an annularly beveled upperedge face 37, and 38 indicates the central bore that extends through thehead 19 and nozzle 35v in registration with said tubular element 36. Thehead 19 ,additionally provides an outer upwardly disposed cylindricalextension 39, which is preferably internally threaded, as at 41, toreceivethe lower externally threaded end of the discharge or outletconduit pipe 40 for the pumped liquid. 42 designates the pressure fluidconduit pipe which has a downwardly flaring annular lip 43 at its lowerextremity that is adapted to be seated upon the annularly beveled. topedge face 37 .of

the upstanding tube 36 in pressure-tight re-' lation, as will be laterreferred to inthe description of operations and the manner of 'bottomcylindrical member 20 may accordingly be of shorter length, and thenozzle element obviously is susceptible of alterations to make itdetachable or interchangeable andotherwise conformable to thefunctioning of the nozzle of Figures 1 and 2. The pressure fluid pipeline, however, is not disposed within the discharge pipe line for thepumped liquid, so that certain chan es are made which will now be morespecifically described. i

The valve chamber head 19 may be par tially threaded within the valvecasing wall 16, and provides the downwardly projected central nozzleelement 45, terminating in the upper valve seat 31, and theofi'settingor upwardl slanting-central extension 46, terminating in theupwardly directed ofi'set nipple 47, the said extension 46 having alongitudinal bore 48 opening to the hollow nipple 47, which ispreferably internally threaded, and to the central bore 38 of the nozzle45. Encompassing the upper portion of the head 19, either inthreaded'relation orit might'be formed integral therewith as in Figure3, is an upstanding outer cylindrical extension 49, preferablyinternally threaded at its upper end, for the reception of a plugginghead 50, which latter is provided with a pair of threaded apertures 51and 52 for respectivel receiving the lower end of the li uid dischargepipe 53 and of the pressure uid pipe line 54, the latter be-- ingdisposed exteriorlyof the former, and the lower extremity of'the pipe 54may also be threaded into the hollow nipple 47.

It will be noted that the lateral apertures. 25 of Figures 1, 2 and 6are naturally dis pensed with in both of the modified con struct-ions,wherein the well casing is-notemployed at any time as the discharge oroutlet conduit for the pumpedliquid, and it is to be particularlyemphasized, as to all y of the arrangements, that the single operatingvalvular element 23 has noports or portways whatsoever. I

With reference to installation and operawith the gasket 21 fitted aroundthe lower end of the bottom cylindrical member 20, is

' lowered or forced down into the well casing,

as far as may be-desired, by means of the attached fluid pressure li-nepipe 28. i

As thus located,'and assuming that the pressure fluid, furnished fromanysuitabl'e source, is being uninterrup'tdlysupplied at all times undera constant pressure into the line 28, which is the manner of its supplyand that the well is substantially productive, so that it is notnecessary as yet to instal the pipe line 32 and the gasket T33. Then,with the valve 23 located at the position shown at Figure 1, the inflowof liquid to the dis placement zone is shut" ofl .while the pressurefluidis being admittedwith full force,

and hence the volume of liquid as previpressure of the well liquid uponthe under surface of the said valve, whereupon the latter will be forcedupwardly from its lower or liquid inlet seat 22 and into fluid tightrelation with its upper or pressure fluid inlet seat 31, as illustratedat Figure 2. It follows, therefore, that the liquid inflow to thedisplacement zone will have been automatically established while thepressure fluid inflow thereto is being automatically and concurrentlyshut off, and which latter is then maintained shut off for the timebeing by virtue of the differenceiin pressure .area afforded by thenozzle injector orifice relatively to the liquid inlet opening, andhence the unbalanced pressures upon the upper and lower surfaces of theoperating valve part.

The filling up of the displacement. zone with liquid from the well, asheretofore described, will then continue until the pressure downwardlyupon the restricted upper surface of the valve 23, which pressure fluidis partially controlled'by the tapering form of the nozzle bore 30, andas augmented by the weigh-tor pressure of the column of liquid above thevalve part '23, will have equalized or balanced the upward pressure '0the-well liquid upon the lower surface of said valve part, whereupon thelatter will fall by gravity into liquid tight association with its loweror liquid inlet valve seat 22, concurrently with the automatic openingup of the pressure fluid inlet with the displacement zone, when pumpingwill 1 again be started and effected as before set forth.

These alternating or cyclical operations will therefore be automaticallymaintained indefinitely, justas long as the operating fluid is on andthe flow of the well is under substantial pressure, and furthermore theQvolume of the operating fluid in its admission to the displacement zonemay be adjusted to a nicety, or changed in proportion to the volume ofliquid to be pumped in charges, owing to the interchangeable nature ofthe nozzles, one only of which is illustrated at 29,0r the substitutionof one for another having injector orifices of varyin x he foregoinginstallation may continue to be employed until the production. of thewell has been'materially decreased, and this whether or not there hasbeen an interchange or substitution of the nozzle element, but when suchproduction has been substantially decreased, as inevitably follows withoil wells, then the well casing as the liquid outlet conduit issubstituted for by the introduction therein of the reduced liquiddischarge pipe 32 and its gasket 33, which elements being lowered andproperly set, at any desired position or distance from the pump, willestablish a thoroughly practical displacement zone or. chamber and thesize of which may be regulated or adjusted by the operator attendant, tomeet varying conditions, by partially withdrawing or further lowering ofthe pipe 32 with its gasket 33, as will be obvious.

In so far as pumping is concerned, the operations of the valvularmechanism of the modified constructions are the same as these previouslydescribed, but in both -of the modified arrangements there are no packerelements, the well casing forms no part of the displacement chamber, norof the liquid discharge conduit, and the level of the oil, therefore,would doubtless always extend substantially well up within the wellcasing, thus always supplying a substantial head of oil therein.

In installing the modified arrangement of Figure 3, the pumping unit isfirst lowered within the well casing, to the desired depth, b means ofthe attached liquid discharge pipe 40, after which the pressure fluidpipe 42 is introduced, down within the liquid discharge pipe, until itsflanged or flaring lip 43 engages over the beveled edge 37, of theupstanding'central tube 36, in fluid tight rela-.

tion therewith.

In installing the modified arrangement of Figure 4, the pumping unit islowered and supported by both the liquid discharge pipe 53 and thepressure fluid pipe 54, which are disposed alongside each other withinthe well casing.

From the foregoing replete description,

it is believed that the full objects and advantages of the inventionwill be clearly.

apparent, but, while there has thus been disclosed certain preferredembodiments thereof, it may later be found to be expedient or desirableto make some'alterations in the structural form and arrangement ofparts, although without departing from the spirit of the invention. Itis to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not to berestricted to all of the details exactly as disclosed, excepting as theymay come within the terms of the claims, or equivalent combinations ofelements, or as when fairly interpreted in the light of thespecification if necessary. What I do claim, as new 1s:

1. The combination and patentable,

with a pump casing eeann embodying a chamber provided with. a liquidinlet conduit,'for communication with liquid under pressure to bepumped, liquidoutlet means, and a displacing pressure fluid inletconduit, the bore and discharge orifice of said 'fluid inlet conduitbeing of. relatively smaller cross-sectional "area than those of saidliquid inlet conduit, of avalve in said chamber complementally coactingwith said discharge orifices of said liquid inlet conduit and said fluidinlet conduit,

outlet means, and a displacing pressure uid" .inlet conduit, the saidliquid inlet conduit and the said fluid inlet conduit respectivelyproviding for a discharge orifice that opens through .a terminal valveseat thereof,

which valve seats are substantially spaced apart and oppositely disposedwithin said chamber, and the' said valve seat and discharge orifice'ofsaid fluid inlet conduit being relatively smaller. than those of saidliquid inlet conduit, of a valve freely operating between said seats incomplemental coaction therewith, under the opposing pres- "surestherethrough,, for. closing the one while concurrently opening theother, the said valve automatically operating alternately in reversedirections upon a sufficient increase" of 'cou'nterba'lancing pressureupon one surface thereof relatively to the pressure upon its oppositesurface.

3. The combination with a pump casing embodying a chamber provided witha li uid'inlet conduit, for communication wit liquid under pressure tobe pumped, liquid outlet means, and a displacing pressure fluid inletconduit, the discharge orifice of said fluid inlet conduit opening tosaid chamber being relatively smaller than the discharge orifice of saidliquid inlet conduit opening to said chamber, off'a valve freelyoperating between said discharge orifices in complemental seatingcoaction therewith, under the opposing pressures therethrough, forclosing the one while concurrently opening the other, the said valveautomatically operating lternatelyin reverse directions upon a V sucient increase of counterbalancing pressure upon one surfacethereofrelatively to if the pressure upon its oppositesurface.

4.. The combination of a pump casing embodying a chamber provided with alower liquid inlet conduit, for communicatlon with liquid .under.pressure to be pumped, a head for saidlehamber a. bore therethrough, forcoupling withiildisplacin pressure .fluid inlet coiidu1t,'and itshettom. "'ein'g provided with a .nozzleiin communication with'saidminating 'inffa valveil seat having,v the nozzles discharge ,roirifie'e;.op'ening t-herethrough,

a lower within vand -in open com muni'cation with said. liquid inletconduit,

being substantially spaced from and flop;- posed to said otherlvalveiseat, .the'discharge orifice through the' nozzles valve seat'bei'n" relatively smaller than the opening throng said lower valve seat,liquid outlet means for said chamber, and a valve freely operatingbetween said seats in .complemental coaction therewith, under theopposing pressures therethrough, .for closing theone while concurrentlyopening the other, the. said valve automatically operating alternately.in reverse directions 'upon' a ..s :1iflicient increase ofcounterbalan'cin 'pressure upon one. surface thereof relative y to thepressure upon its opposite surface.

5. The combinaltion 'of a casing embodying an open-ended chamber, allquid inlet valve seat towards. the lower end thereof, for opencommunication with said chama head for said chamber having abo're.therethrough, for coupling with a displacing pressure uid inlet conduit,andits bottom being provided witha nozzle in communication with. saidbore-and said chamber, the,

said nozzle terminating in valve seat having the nozzles dischargeorifice openin 1o boreand "said chamber, the said nozzle terberandliquid under pressure to be pumped,

therethrough and being substantially space from and opposed to saidother valve seat, the nozzles valve seat discharge orifice beingrelatively smaller than the lower valve seat opening, liquid outletmeans for said.

chamber, and a ball valve freely disposed between said seats andautomatically operatlng, in complemental coaction therewith in reversedirections of movement, under the control of the alternately changing ofrelative pressures upon the upper and lower surfaces of said ball valve.

, 6. The combination of a pump casing em- 'bodying .a chamber open atits lower end, a

liquid inlet valve seat towards said lower end, for open communicationwith said chamber and liquid under pressure to be pumped, a head forsaid chamber having a bore therethrough, for coupling with a displacingpressure fluid inlet conduit, and its bottom being provided with adetachably connected nozzle, for interchangeable purposes, 1ncommunication with said bore and said chamber, the said nozzleterminating 1n a valve se'athaving the nozzles discharge orifice openingtherethrough and being opposed to said other valve'seat in substantiallyspaced relation, the nozzles discharge.

ing between said seats.

a bore therethrough for couplin bodying a chamber open at its lower end,

a liquid inlet valve seat towards said low or end, for opencommunication with said chamber and liquid under pressure to be pumped,a head for, said chamber having a ore therethrough, for coupling with alacing pressure fluid inlet conduit, a noze det'achably connected inassociation with said bore, in communication with said fluid inlet'conduit and said chamber, the said nozzle being formed with a taperingbore merging into a terminatingjvalve seat opposed to said other valve.seat in substantially spaced relation, the nozzles discharge orificebeing relatively smaller than the lower valve seat fopenin liquid outletmeans for said chamber, an a; valve freely operat- 8. The combination,of a pump casing embodying a chamber open at its ower end, a liquidinletvalve seat towards said lower end, for open communication with saidchamber and liquid .under pressure to be pumped, a head for said chamberhaving liquid outlet means therethrough and also with a displacingpressurefluid inlet con uit, the low er .end of said head providing fora nozzle rojected into' said chamber, which nozzle is adapted forcommunication with said fluid inlet conduit and terminates at itsprojected end in a valve seat, through which the nozzles dischargeorifice opens, opposed to said other valve seat in substantially spacedrelation, the nozzles discharge orifice being 40 -iquid overbalancing anunobstructed constant pressure of said operating fluid, and reverselyshutting off the inflow of said liquid to said displacement zoneconcurrent- 1% with the admission of said pressure fluid t ereto, byvirtue of the unobstructed constant pressure of said operating fluidoverbalancing the pressure of said liquid, the cross sectional area ofthe volume of pressure fluid at its zone of entrance into saiddisplacement zone being substantially less than the cross-sectional areaof the volume of liquid at its zone of entrance into said displacementzone.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

RALPH I. PENDLETON.

